VAUSE: I'm John Vause. This is NEWSROOM L.A. North Korea is threatening to have make the U.S. pay dearly for the latest U.N. sanctions; the toughest ones the country has ever faced over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. U.N. Security Council approved the resolution in a unanimous vote, even China, North Korea's main economic ally says the situation on the Korean Peninsula is critical.

SESAY: North Korea says the U.S. is desperate to bring the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, and that under no circumstances will the regime negotiates its nuclear weapons. The new sanctions could cut North Korea's annual export revenue by a third.

VAUSE: Alexandra Field joins us now; she is live in Seoul this hour. So, much amount of pain on China and enforce this new sanction regime. Is there any indication coming from Beijing that will actually follow through this, because in the past hasn't?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. You heard U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, calling these sanctions a gut punch, and then you have the Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, now traveling in the region, acknowledging the legitimacy of concerns about enforcement because as you point out, that has failed so many times before. But China did sign on to these resolutions, they came in the wake of a U.S. bill enacting its own sanctions which would allow the president to sanctions Chinese banks and other entities that were illegally doing business with North Korea.

A unilateral approach from the U.S. is something that China vehemently pushed back against. They have instead called for multilateral action in order to deal with the growing North Korean crisis. So, yes, they did put their back behind that U.N. Security Council resolution that did pass unanimously. And since then, Beijing has been saying all the right things, calling these sanctions necessary while also condemning the two ICBM launches from North Korea that precipitated these sanctions. But as we go forward here, John, we will see that Beijing will continue with a balancing act: how to protect its relationship with the U.S., the pressure that it's been under from Washington to do more to rein in the regime, and also its own national interest.

They certainly don't want to invite a refugee crisis on their doorstep, and they don't want to do anything to risk a buffer between the Chinese border and South Korea -- a U.S. ally. So, look, whether you want to be optimistic or pessimistic about how Beijing proceeds from here, we've got to point through reality, which is that there'll be six rounds of U.S. sanctions prior to this round of sanctions. And still, you saw two ICBM launches just last month, John.

VAUSE: OK. So, let's assume all these sanctions are in fact enforced. Sanctions take a long time for the impact to be felt. So, is there any idea how long before they really start to hit the North Korean economy, from what I see start to bite? And how does that square with the time table (INAUDIBLE) nuclear and missile program? In other words, could this just all be too late?

FIELD: Yes. There are great concerns that this is just too little too late. Not to mention the fact that the other two ICBM test last month, but we know the North Koreans also conducted some five different nuclear test. So, they've certainly shown incredible acceleration and sophistication in their mission to develop a nuclear capable ICBM that would reach the U.S. mainland.

The U.S. intelligence analysis is that they could have that capability by next year. We're talking about a few months here now, John. And you're talking about sanctions that target essentially a third of the export revenue from North Korea. So, it is a significant chunk of money -- a billion dollars. But that's out of three billion-dollar annual revenue. So, these are sanctions that would take the time to be fully implemented.

And then, you've got to look at North Korea's considerations with how they spend their money, and there is absolutely no indication, whatsoever, that the regime will commit all of its greatest effort to fully realizing this goal to develop that nuclear capable ICBM. They will put that above anything else, it's been very clear by the regime. And they have said that this nuclear weapon is not something that they will barter with. It is, to them, a measure of self-defense, a measure of protection as they see it from the U.S., John.

VAUSE: OK. Alexandra Field, thank you, live in Seoul with the latest. I appreciate it, Alexandra.

SESAY: Well, there's brand new CNN polling that shows only 38 percent of Americans approve of the job Donald Trump is doing as president.

VAUSE: 56 percent disapprove. Others of the worst six months numbers served any U.S. president in the modern era. The poll also shows the Americans disapprove of Mr. Trump's tweeting habits. And as Jim Acosta reports, he did continue tweeting even though he's vacation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[01:05:03] JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: From his golf club in New Jersey, President Trump is teeing off on Twitter slamming Connecticut Democratic Senator, Richard Blumenthal. Tweeting, "Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con-artist." The president blasted Blumenthal on who once acknowledged he misled voters about his military service during the Vietnam War after the senator raised questions on CNN about the Trump administration's hunt for leakers in the Russia probe.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: Politicizing the Department of Justice for personal gains, I think is a disservice to the law. And it's also potentially a violation of the spirit of the first amendment. Remember, what we know about the Trump administration so far has been the result of very good reporting.

ACOSTA: After Blumenthal's interview, the president who once received five military draft deferments during the Vietnam War went on a tirade tweeting, "Never in U.S. history, as anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and conquest; how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?" Blumenthal fired back, "Mr. President your bullying hasn't worked before, and it won't work now. No one is above the law."

The president is also lashing out at the news media tweeting, "Hard to believe that with 24/7 fake news on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, New York Times, and Washington Post, the Trump base is getting stronger." The tweet storm raises new questions about whether Chief of Staff, John Kelly, can truly bring discipline to the White House. Then again, Kelly once chokes the president, could use a ceremonial sword on the news media. The president's family is joining his crusade against the press.

LARA TRUMP, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW OF PRESIDENT TRUMP: I bet you haven't heard about all the accomplishments the president had this week because there is so much fake news out there.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Russia story is a total fabrication. ACOSTA: With the president's approval numbers plunging in recent

weeks, he has focused on energizing his core of supporters tweeting, "The Trump base is far bigger and stronger than ever before despite some phony fake news polling. Look at rallies in Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Ohio." But there is a reason for the president to worry as recent Quinnipiac poll found a key voting bloc for Mr. Trump: White voters without a college degree now disapprove of the job he's doing.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: His approval rating among Republicans and Conservative of Trump voters is down slightly. It needs to go up. They are telling him, just enact your program.

ACOSTA: Another potential warning sign, a New York Times report that allies of Vice President Pence are quietly laying the ground work for 2020. That both the White House and Pence's spokesperson are adamant that such talk is fake news.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are all operating under the assumption every day that the president is seeking re-election in 2020.

ACOSTA: Despite the backlash against his social media habits, the president is determined to keep on tweeting; still the public has lost nearly all confidence in this. The recent Quinnipiac poll finding 69 percent of Americans saying the president should stop tweeting. Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining us now, CNN Political Commentators, Democratic Strategist, Dave Jacobson; and Republican Consultant, John Thomas. Good to have you back.

SESAY: Hello.

VAUSE: OK. So, here's the problem with the tweeting in real time: 04:15 p.m., Monday, Eastern Time here in the U.S., Donald Trump lashed out with this tweet, "The fake news media will not talk about the importance of the United Nation Security Council's 15-0 vote in favor of sanctions on North Korea." But at 04:15 p.m. Eastern Time, this is what was on air on CNN USA.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: It means, North Korea would attack and attack. The president says, he would not allow that to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK. So, we were covering it. A lot of other news organizations have covered it. We've covered it for days. So, Dave, I mean, in some ways, does it seem like the tweet from the president are just becoming, sort of, more reckless?

DAVE JACOBSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Absolutely. I mean, he is exasperating the issue. I mean, this is a guy, who just days ago said that the Russia investigation was a complete fabrication. The reality is, he's shooting himself in the foot, and that's why you're seeing these poll numbers were increasing Americans just simply don't approve of Trump or the White House.

SESAY: Let's take a close look at these poll numbers that CNN poll; that just came out a couple of hours ago. Let's put up some stats. I mean, what we're seeing is a decline in the president among his core supporters. Among Republican's strong approval is down 14 points from February, it now stands at 59 percent. And among White voters without a college degree, his core base, I mean -- this is his bread and butter if you will. That's now down to 35 percent, down 12 points. John, simple question: what's driving down these numbers?

JOHN THOMAS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: It's the lack of Trump driving his agenda. I mean, these voters sent Trump not just to drain the swamp, but also to repeal and replace Obamacare, to build that wall, and he hasn't done that yet. So, I think that's hurting him. I would freak out if I were the Trump administration over these numbers for a couple of reasons.

First, it's using a likely voter model, and so general population surveys versus, you know, November 2018 midterm election turnouts are dramatically different. It's still early. Public opinion can shift. But also, Trump does have some things to be proud about: the net new jobs rating, you know, he claims over a million new jobs, over a million of people have stopped being on food stamps, and illegal immigration is down without building a single piece of the wall. That's all great. I think voters are going to take a hard look at their personal circumstances when they decide whether or not to give Republicans control.

[01:10:43] But here's the other statistic, Congress' approval, not that they're ever well-liked, they're like even less now than before. They're at nine or 10 percent, which --

SESAY: That's not enough to take confident in --

THOMAS: No, but my point is, I think voter's frustration is with the government -- both sides and general -- and their lack of ability to get things done. If Trump can't get something done meaningfully, whether it repeals or replace, get this tax reform done, he is in the world to hurt.

VAUSE: Dave, I want to ask you about how much critics can President Trump take to the economy here? Many jobs are under Trump. You know this is the economy that Barack Obama managed to resurrect after the great recession. It was on track. It was of -- you know, (INAUDIBLE) about Barack as well. I mean, he jumped that's great, but that's been done before; kind of the two main in his first six months. The issue at the border, illegal immigration, that was already on its way to under Barack Obama. So, these are the trend, how much credit do you give the president? I mean, this is during Obama fiscal year.

JACOBSON: It's totally disingenuous for Donald Trump to take complete credit for these issues. And if you look at the path that President Obama has sort of instilled in terms of economic growth, since mid- 2013, there hasn't been a six month period where we actually haven't had a million jobs created. So, the fact that Donald Trump is out there campaigning saying, look, I've created all these jobs. It's disingenuous. And the fact that the Republican National Committee put up tweets saying that it's unprecedented; it's simply not true.

And I think the reality is, a lot of this stems from the Obama presidency. And if you look at what Trump has actually delivered in terms of meaningful, tangible legislation. He hasn't created any real jobs. He hasn't put forward legislation to the Congress that's actually invested in infrastructure. He hasn't raised wages. Sure, unemployment's down but he hasn't done anything to sort of tackle income in equality. And that's why I think you're starting to see the splintering, this eroding of support with these non-college educated White voters. They're frustrated, they're anxious, because they want jobs, they want livable wages, and he's not delivering.

SESAY: John, how do you counter that? That he's wrong, and that the president is basically --

THOMAS: Well, I mean, first of all, the stock market's hitting all- time highs. At what point does it become Donald Trump that he can credit for that? I mean, he's president, he can take credit for the stock market. There's a reason for that even though he hasn't been able to drive his agenda with tax reform and others. I don't think that's baked in right now because I don't think the stock market thinks he's going to get tax reform through. So, why is going through the roof? It's because for once, in the last -- over the last eight years, businesses and small jobs creators understand that they're not under assault by big government. And that enthusiasm, that tone alone is causing the economy to grow.

SESAY: But more, maybe these numbers.

VAUSE: And selling a lot, I guess, is the point -- six months in, which is interesting. I want to pick up on this report from the New York Times over the weekend about, you know, these prominent Republican (INAUDIBLE) to vice president, who was thinking about a presidential run on 2020. Here's part of the report: "Senators Tom Cotton and Ben Sasse, had already been to Iowa this year. Governor John Kasich is eyeing a return visit to New Hampshire, and Mike Pence's schedule is so full of political events that Republicans joked and he's acting more like a second-term vice president hoping to clear the field than a number two sworn in a little over six months ago."

You know, though I stressed an issue to forceful denial that he's thinking of running. But you know, John, this is remarkable, six months into a first term. You know, the president -- sitting president have been primary before three times, but nothing like this.

THOMAS: I mean, these guys clearly smell blood in the water. Leave it to a politician; it'd be concerned about the next election, and not actually governing. I mean, that's part of the problem. You see Speaker Ryan's gone home, and he's being booed by his own constituents even from the right because they say, how come you can't get these things, these legislative goals done? It's not surprising politicians are looking for the next round on the latter. VAUSE: At this early?

SESAY: Dave, I mean, if you have -- as a Democrat, seeing the landscape takes shape so early on the GOP side, you're thinking what?

JACOBSON: Well, I think Mike Pence -- pardon me -- would be a fool not to start building up an independent apparatus outside of what the president's doing. The fact that the vice president actually has a pack that he's formed separate from the White House's doing, separate from what the president has done, that is actually unprecedented. We've never seen that before, so early in the presidency. And I think you're right, he does smell blood.

So, it is on the Republicans; the fact that Donald Trump's members have continued to nose-dive increasingly ever since the inauguration. We haven't seen a resurgence where they've gone back up; they continue to go down. If they continue to do so, and if he continues to fail in terms of delivering anything meaningful to the Congress, and if he loses seats in the House, he's going to see some real challenges and we could see, potentially, a competitive GOP primary.

THOMAS: But this is, this is, but this is unpredictable. I mean, one thing we know is like, it's still a --

JACOBSON: Right. It's still so early.

(CROSSTALK)

[01:15:08] VAUSE: Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, George takes over; all primary as the presidents. So, I would probably go on to lose the election. Are we at the point almost, John, now we can say that this Trump presidency is always at the point, the aligned down president.

THOMAS: I'm not ready to say that. I mean, look, we control all Houses of Congress.

VAUSE: Without anything done.

THOMAS: I know. But we could get things done. Things could change at a moment's notice.

JACOBSON: I think the litmus test; the GOP leaders are going to be looking at is the midterm's elections. Like if we lose, if they actually lose the House at the time when they control every single element of government, I think that's going to be the writing on the wall for some of these Republicans to jump in at the 2020 race.

SESAY: Gentlemen, always great.

VAUSE: Thanks, guys.

SESAY: Thank you. Thank you. Time for a quick break now. Next on NEWSROOM L.A., a pivotal vote in Kenya; the polls are open and that comes amid presidential and parliamentary election. We'll take you to the Nairobi next. VAUSE: Also, a new fallout from a Google engineer's ranted out diversity. Why calling women neurotic and biologically unfit for tech jobs, isn't really a winning strategy?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Voting is underway in Kenya's presidential and parliamentary elections. Incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta is seeking a second term, but forget it, he has to send off seven challenges including his longtime rival, Raila Odinga. CNN's Farai Sevenzo is in Kenya's capital Nairobi and joins us now live. Farai, what's the latest you're hearing about how the voting is going?

FARAI SEVENZO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Isha, we are here at what is the end of a massive queue at Moi Primary School. Massive turnout has happened here for this election. Everybody is here to -- not just to elect their president, they're here to elect this voter behind us at the (INAUDIBLE) booth. A member of parliament, a women's representative, a senator, and governor; I'm of course the big one, who will be their president into the 2020's, Isha.

SESAY: This has been a keenly fought race. We heard Raila Odinga, the president's closest challenger talking about how though a plan to manipulate the result of this vote? With that being said, how would you describe the mood there in Nairobi right now? I mean, starting with where you are. What is the feeling around this vote?

SEVENZO: The feeling around here probably is that everybody wants to vote. But you are absolutely right in what you said, this is a tightly fought contest and any suggestion of malpractice or underhand things has always been highlighted. And of course, we have said that talk about is (INAUDIBLE) is always the preserve of the opposition. Remember, this is a (INAUDIBLE) day for the president for the fourth time.

He has left no stone unturned, even in the rainiest, people come on to vote. They have their own polling places. They have their own officers looking. Here are, in this polling station, they are observers from the African Union, I believe. They have cops everywhere. It's a very, very tightly watched election. So, in terms of concerns about rigging, we have to play it and find out if that's true. Because of course, there is (INAUDIBLE), and we only have about 24 hours away.

[01:20:13] SESAY: Yes. That being said, as you're there at that polling station. I mean, what is your sense about what is driving people's decision-making process? Has this been a vote about personality, about the individuals involved, and the dynastic politics of Kenyatta versus -- and Odinga? Or has this election been about the issues?

SEVENZO: You are absolutely right, Isha. We cannot get away from the fact that this about two men, whose own fathers grandest country. It is about the dynasties, indeed. And of course, in 55 years of independence, the dramatic person eye in terms of the politics hasn't really changed, has it? But one Kenyatta, who is the son of the former Kenyatta, who ran the run, and we've got Odinga who is the son of the vice president who ran the country.

And they used, remember, 55 percent of the people voting in this election are under 55 -- 35, I beg your pardon. And we speak to the young they feel that they feel that they are, themselves, imprisoned in this dynasty politics. And this is a vote that they are hoping will change things. We will wait to see if -- this (INAUDIBLE) is important. It means, moving away from tribal politics. I mean, getting an agenda for the youth into the future, Isha.

SESAY: And that's absolutely critical for Kenya to reach of growth and development. Farai Sevenzo, joining us there from Nairobi. Thank you, Farai.

VAUSE: Over the past few months, we've seen Silicon Valley's reputation has gone from a bastion of progress and liberal ideas to a bottomless pit of allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The latest outrage comes from Google, and a lengthy memo written by a male software engineer. (INAUDIBLE) biology is to blame of a pay gap between men and women. Here's a sample: "Women, on average have more Neuroticism (higher anxiety, lower stress tolerance). This may contribute to the higher levels of anxiety women report on Googlegeist (which is an internal company survey) and to the lower number of women in high-stress jobs."

Google's CEO has responded to that now viral memo with an e-mail to start, which reads in part: "Our job is to build great products for users that make a difference in their lives. To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK." The Google spokesman has also declined to comment on reports that the engineer who wrote the memo has been fired. Well, for more: Kara Swisher, Co-Founder of the technology Web site Recode, joins us now from San Francisco. Good to you, Kara.

KARA SWISHER, CO-FOUNDER, RECODE: Good to see you too.

VAUSE: Quick picture here. When it comes to sexism and pay discrimination, it seems the tech industry just isn't worth that the rest of corporate America. But I guess for many years -- for many years, there was this perception that it was better. That somehow Silicon Valley has changed the paradigm, but it's just not true.

SWISHER: Right, not true. Not true. And by the way, that engineer was fired. But you know, it's a really -- it's an ironic thing because there are a lot of ideals in Silicon Valley that are really wonderful: open-mindedness, innovation, and things like that. But you know, when you look at the statistics of how many women or people of color worked at these companies, the deck is stacked against them because it's almost 70-80 percent men, heavily White men. So, it's a really interesting issue that Silicon Valley has had to deal with over the last couple of months, especially.

VAUSE: I want to read you another part of that 10-page memo. This is what he wrote.

SWISHER: Please don't. I've read it so many times. VAUSE: I'm sure.

SWISHER: Thanks. Thanks so much.

VAUSE: This is one more time then.

SWISHER: All right.

VAUSE: "The same forces that lead men into high paying/high-stress job in tech and leadership course men to take undesirable and dangerous jobs like coal mining, garbage collection, and firefighting, and suffer 93 percent of work-related deaths." In other words, men are the victims. OK. So, this all seems to sort of echo the men's rights movement, which has been arguing affirmative action -- discriminates against men. I want to play a very brief clip from a documentary; it's called the "Red Pill." Listen to this.

SWISHER: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we've been focusing our binoculars on the issue of discrimination against women.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most of the discrimination is faced by men. The fact of the matter is men are suffering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their wife must report the child, and they don't. What do you tell him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't tell you at this point how many guys I've talked to who were like, yes, you know, she stabbed me and then put me in jail.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll never forget this he said, if she starts hitting you again, you better get out of there fast because she just breaks a finger nail trying to hit you, we'll arrest you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: I mean, is there a possession among men in Silicon Valley?

SWISHER: Thank you for that. Thank you for that. Thank you for that.

VAUSE: I thought you enjoy it.

SWISHER: That is a horrible, horrible thing.

VAUSE: Is there a possession though in Silicon Valley that men are the real victims here?

SWISHER: Well, here's what's happened, there's been a lot of talks recently especially because of the situation at Uber, which you know, the report, it turned out to be almost entirely true, I think, about sexism and then sexual harassment. There's really a very bright line the two. I think a lot of people -- you know, this has been discussed a lot. And I think the people in power, primary men, primarily White men, don't want to talk about it. And so now, they want to move issue as we can't say anything.

And what's fascinating is this particular guy, who was talking about it in this memo at Google, he's like, I can't be heard. I'm chained into silence. Well, he sent it around to the entire company of so many people, tens of thousands of people, and then it was read by millions. Listen, we heard what this guy had to say. And so, I think victimization is laughable but it's not unexpected among some of these people because they live in (INAUDIBLE 3), juvenile Peter Pan world, that they have to get out of this. These are adult situations that people should feel in the workplace.

[01:25:41] VAUSE: Always think before sending, right?

SWISHER: Yes. No, it also -- Google is a company, it can make whatever rules it wants, and that he broke the rules of Google. And it's not -- you can't say anything you want when you're within the company and especially in this manner, and so he got fired.

VAUSE: You know, we should also note that Google is actually being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor for violating federal laws when it comes to wage discrimination.

SWISHER: Yes. It's ironic.

VAUSE: I want to read you part of the Department's testimony in court last week. "We found systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce." Google's lawyer disputed that claim. But I can say that is damning for a company with the modern (INAUDIBLE) I think, isn't it?

SWISHER: Yes, it is. No to evil, not necessarily --

VAUSE: I'm talking -- now it's Alphabet, it's now Alphabet or whatever it is. We've got to do the right thing, yes.

SWISHER: OK, all right. OK. No, you know, it's interesting because obviously there are pay gaps all over Silicon Valley and Google is not immune to that. And we have the CFO of Google on stage at our conference this year, and she talked about wanting to rectify that rather quickly, and that they're working to rectify that. They didn't want to go over with the salary information. I pressed her on why they didn't because we probably will know it says that there are massive pay gaps. And I think they are genuinely trying to rectify that, but it's a problem suffered all over this country and definitely in Silicon Valley.

VAUSE: And this (INAUDIBLE) the only days in playing out about all of this. Kara, good to see you, thanks so much.

SWISHER: Thanks a lot.

SESAY: Next on NEWSROOM L.A., a president fighting for his political life. Jacob Zuma faces a vote that could change South Africa amid growing public concern over his leadership.

VAUSE: Plus, a possible rebellion in Venezuela; police are searching for the remaining gunmen lurked at an army base and hope to start an insurgency against President Nicolas Maduro.

[01:30:54] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: South African President Jacob Zuma's eight years in office have been plagued in controversy, but his toughest challenge may be just hours away.

ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: As anti-Zuma protesters marched Monday in Cape Town, the president prepared to face a no-confidence vote by secret ballot in parliament Tuesday. Just a simple majority voting against would mean he and his cabinet would have to resign.

CNN's David McKenzie has more from Johannesburg.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What I've seen in your country is what I imagine our country.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This man lives and breathes the ANC, like his father before him.

(on camera): Your whole life, you've been an ANC supporter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, my whole life.

MCKENZIE: And you remain an ANC supporter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): But these are strange times for the party of Nelson Mandela.

(on camera): Should President Jacob Zuma step down?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes, yes. I think our president must step down for the good of the country.

(SINGING)

MCKENZIE (voice-over): South Africa's president seems out of step with many in his own party, the politician in survival mode.

(SHOUTING)

(GUNFIRE)

MCKENZIE: Facing anger and protests from the people.

(CHANTING)

MCKENZIE (on camera): President Zuma faces more than 700 counts of alleged corruption. He used public money to fund his private homestead. And the highest court in the land says that he did not uphold his oath of office. The list of scandals is long.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're really managed to infiltrate and capture almost every possible state.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): And the list is getting longer. A new trove of nearly 200,000 leaked emails suggesting alleged corruption, with tens of millions of dollars between the Gupta family, wealthy Indian ex-pats with vast business interests in South Africa, and cabinet members, state-owned industry bosses, even members of Zuma's immediate family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: he hasn't answered those allegations.

MCKENZIE: The Guptas call the leaks fake news. And Zuma has long denied any corruption.

(SHOUTING)

MCKENZIE: But the South African journalists uncovering the emails now facing sustained harassment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you start digging and you start investigating, you don't really know where it's going to end.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need a new beginning.

MCKENZIE: The official opposition sees an opening, calling for another vote of no-confidence against Zuma in Parliament

UNIDENTIFIED OPPOSITION LEADER: Jacob Zuma is a corrupt individual. He has lost the interest of South African. And more than that, anyway, he's acted in a treasonous manner by selling off public for private use.

MCKENZIE (on camera): And can you do it? Can you get him out?

UNIDENTIFIED OPPOSITION LEADER: Absolutely.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Many here say they want a new beginning for the Liberation Party of South Africa to focus on the people's problems, not the politics of patronage.

David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: A British model who said she was kidnapped and held Italy said she feared for her life. Police say 20-year-old Chloe Ayling was attacked in mid-July, after arriving in Milan and taken to a remote cabin.

VAUSE: She spoke publicly for the first time after authorities announced a suspect had been arrested, who apparently planned to sell her online.

Barbie Nadeau has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The young model is back home safe in the U.K. with her family and her young son. But she did speak to reporters outside her house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHLOE AYLING, BRITISH MODEL: I've been through a terrifying experience. I feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

I'm incredibly grateful for the Italian and U.K. authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: Investigators here in their focus on the suspect, they have a 30-year-old Polish man in custody right now. He's the person that delivered this young woman back to the British consulate in Milan after six days in captivity near the French border by Turin. During that period of time, he bragged to her, saying that he was an expert in sex trafficking and he had made over 15 million Euro selling young women just like herself. After the six days, though, he decided to let her go once he realized that she was a mother.

Investigators though are wondering if is really part of this larger sex trafficking organization or if he was perhaps acting alone and fantasizing about being part of a larger organization.

This is Barbie Nadeau, for CNN, in Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:35:10] VAUSE: Now to the crisis in Venezuela. Hundreds marched to the capital on Monday supporting the president, Nicolas Maduro, and his nearly elected constituent assembly.

SESAY: Meanwhile, police are looking for the remaining gunmen they say attacked an army base in Valencia. Seven suspects were arrested. As many as 10 are still on the run. The men who announced this all on social media says the attack was not a coup attempt but a legitimate rebellion against President Maduro.

Latin-American analyst, Nicolas Albertoni, joins us now.

Nicolas, good to see you. So this Valencia attack appears to be an attempt to stir a broader uprising, which hasn't happened as yet. But it has raised the question of whether we're looking at a greater chance of a coup, something being launched by ordinary soldiers.

NICOLAS ALBERTONI, LATIN-AMERICAN ANALYST: Yes. First of all, what we see today in Venezuela is the result of many years of our government basically fighting against the democratic institutions. So will we start to see these kinds of things. We will see if it is not orchestrated by the current government. By the way, what is happening in that country for many years have these kinds of regime like what is happening in Venezuela after like more than nine years of this government of Nicolas Maduro.

SESAY: Are we to believe the military, the senior members of the military forces, when they say they stand in lockstep with Nicolas Maduro, does he have the full support of the military?

ALBERTONI: I don't think so. Basically, what we see in Venezuela is basically many cities, many are regionalized in the country, so we have many fractures in the military and government. But we see is basically a similar situation of what we saw in 1982, when Hugo Chavez, the founder of the Chorizo regime, did the same thing. Basically, what he did was a successful coup d'etat against a democratic body at the moment. So, again, it is difficult to see how Latin-America, in general, doesn't learn about it.

SESAY: How do you see Nicolas Maduro using this moment, this attack in Valencia? Does this become an opportunity to go after even more critics, more enemies?

ALBERTONI: Of course. Basically, this is something that is orchestrated by the government. We see these kinds of things also bolster his narrative, the anti-imperialism regime, what he is always saying about the USA and many other. So basically, this is increasing the narrative we see from Nicolas Maduro. Also, another point that is important to see, is the region is not cooperating in this process because we shall see that basically the coup suspended in Venezuela and last weekend. But his is too late. After two years of this regime, we start to see these kinds of results.

SESAY: You mentioned the South American traders defending Venezuela on Saturday. They say this has been done for the failure to uphold democratic norms. Will that have any impact or, as you say, is it simply a case of being too little too late? And to that point, why could they not do more in terms of imposing sanctions or changes on trade, which we know would have an impact?

ALBERTONI: It's important to say that we should have played a very important role in this crisis. But unfortunately, what we see is basically silence after two years that we have this regime in its worse moment. So basically, I don't think it would have many results basically because Nicolas Maduro is continuing with this kind of narrative and basically what we see that this kind of situation is now increasing the same on this because now he is saying that basically all the economic problems of Venezuela happened basically because these kinds of trade suspensions.

SESAY: Nicolas Albertoni, joining us there.

Nicolas, we appreciate it. That you so much for the insight.

ALBERTONI: Thank you so much.

VAUSE: Next on NEWSROOM L.A., a pastor with no criminal record is under arrest in the U.S., caught up in a crackdown on immigration.

[01:39:16] SESAY: Plus, hard lessons on what to do in a terror attack. How an Israeli company is selling the experience to tourists.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Hello, everyone. When Donald Trump rain for president, he said he'd root out the bad hombres in his crackdown on undocumented immigrants. But some say a pastor doesn't exactly fit the bill.

VAUSE: He crossed illegally into the U.S. and has, ever since, lived a lawful life and raised two children.

Now, has Kyung Lah reports, he's praying for a miracle to stay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Inside this cramped room in an ICE detention center in the middle of the California desert we're given 20 minutes to talk to Noe Carias, undocumented immigrant, father, and pastor.

LAH: Carias is an evangelical pastor for this Los Angeles church. Last week, he went to his ICE check-in and never came out.

The Guatemala native crossed illegally in the 1990s and was working to fix his immigration status. He has no other criminal record.

So for the past three years, ICE allowed Carias to stay.

CARIAS: I'm a man of God. I'm a man of faith. I'm a pastor. I never committed any crime in this country.

LAH (on camera): What do you say to the people who say that you came here illegally.

CARIAS: I have two kids. I'm working in this country. I support the economy of this country. And I pay my taxes.

LAH: So if they are going to do this to you, what does this say about the other 11 million undocumented people in this country?

CARIAS: That's a single dilemma. Everywhere, people do good things in life inside the United States of America.

(CHEERING)

LAH (voice-over): The pastor's arrest comes as part of the Trump administration's policy shift on immigration. ICE guidelines now state "Officers will take enforcement action against all removable aliens."

Arrests of undocumented immigrants with no other criminal convictions are up 50 percent as compared to last year.

In a statement, ICE says Carias has assumed multiple identities and nationalities to evade immigration enforcement. They add Carias was removed from the U.S. three times and he has established a pattern of misrepresentation or deception to law enforcement.

At the pastor's home, his 5 and 6-year-old children struggle to understand that government policy in their life.

VICTORIA CARIAS, WIFE OF NOE CARIAS: He's has been here long enough and he has done nothing wrong. We should get the opportunity to make things right.

LAH: To the president, she pleads.

VICTORIA CARIAS: He has grandchildren and they hurt the same as mine. Please, to have mercy.

CARIAS: This is not political. This is about my faith. It's about family.

LAH: These ministers, leading churches across California, say white evangelicals are turning a blind eye when it comes to immigration, even as their faith sees a surge in Latinos. Eighty percent of white evangelicals voted for Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED PASTOR: Today, you have a choice, and we need you to choose to stand with us.

LAH (on camera): Are white evangelicals doing enough?

UNIDENTIFIED PASTOR: No. No, it is not enough. It is not enough until this stops. That is when it is enough. It's not enough until we aren't sitting here talking about a pastor sitting, however many miles it is from here, in a terrible detention center.

CARIAS: I love my wife. I love my two kids. And, hopefully, we will be -- soon we will be together.

LAH: ICE called Pastor Carias a repeat immigration violator. They say, in the 1990s, he also did not tell them the truth that he was from Guatemala, but rather that he was from Mexico.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) [01:45:17] SESAY: "Al Jazeera" says Israel's intention to shut the network down is an attack on independent journalism. Israel announced it plans to close the network's Jerusalem bureau, revoke its reporter's credentials and block the broadcast. The Doha-based network promises a legal challenge. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused "al Jazeera" of inciting violence, a charge the network denied.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED AL JAZEERA JOURNALIST: This is something that we find outrageous that a government, which claims to be one of the only democratic ones in existence in the Middle East, that in the 21st century, you can actually after journalists and media institutions in order to silence any form of reporting on its actions and its policies that it may not like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: We'll stay on the news. Caliber 3, a security school, which has been sharing Israel's lessons on fighting terrorism for 14 years, was founded by an Israeli Defense forces colonel to teach techniques to security offices.

LEE: The 27-year veteran of Israel's Special Forces sketches out a scenario.

GAT: You have 2000 students and teachers in school five and five terrorists over there. If you don't react fast, people will lose their lives.

(GUNFIRE)

LEE: Gat's company trains security personnel from around the world.

(GUNFIRE)

LEE: But now tourists get a shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go.

LEE: Helen Lamb brought her four grandsons.

HELEN LAMB, ATTENDS CALIBER 3 TOURIST TRAINING: It is something that they really see what the soldiers are going through here. And they see what it is to protect a country and a land ad be part of an army.

(GUNFIRE)

LEE: The class also includes a canine demonstration. Thousands of would-be warriors have flocked to this West Bank settlement. Today, they're from the U.S. and Canada.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's certainly a source of your pride that to be a part of the larger family of Israel.

LEE: The West Bank, though, is disputed territory, the scene of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians for decades.

I put it to Sharon Gat that there is politics is his enterprise.

GAT: This facility is non-political. It's not talking about the Israeli-Palestinian war. It's talking about what a soldier in the Israeli army has to do and what his morals, his values, and his duty are.

LEE: This moneymaking enterprise is not without its own moral issues. There's a risk of turning war and terror into entertainment.

GAT: I'm showing them that war is a disgusting and ugly thing. I'm showing them that I don't want them to participate in war.

LEE: Experience Gat passes on to Lamb's grandson, war isn't like a video game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have three lives there you don't want to get shot. Done.

LEE: A valuable lesson for anyone picking up a gun.

Ian Lee, CNN, Jerusalem.

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: The Mekong River is one of the longest in the world, passing through five countries in Southeast Asia.

VAUSE: It's bringing life to the Mekong countries and bringing many of international tourists as well.

Kristi Lu Stout has more on the "Road to ASEAN."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

KRISTI LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sunset from Mount Phousi as tourists take in the view of Luang Prabang.

(MUSIC)

STOUT: Less than 30 years ago, Laos opened its doors to foreign visitors. And today, the tourist sector is a fast-growing lifeline for the country, as vital as the Mekong River that courses through Luang Prabang.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Mekong River is extremely important for a country like Laos, actually all the countries around the Mekong.

STOUT: The Mekong River runs through five Southeast Asians countries, half of ASEAN. It's both a boon to trade and travel.

One of the newest entrants to Laos' tourism scene is Mekong Kingdoms. It offers luxury river cruises on the relatively untouched upper Mekong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking for customers, people who enjoy party, who enjoy life.

[01:50:12] STOUT: In 2014, the Mekong countries welcomed almost 52 million tourists, according to the Mekong Coordinating office. In an effort to unite the region, the Mekong Tourism Forum was held this year in Luang Prabang. It is an annual gathering of tourism professionals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People have a strong understanding of what it means to go to Thailand or what it means to Laos or Vietnam or Cambodia or Myanmar. At least they have some idea.

STOUT: For this man, it's about promoting the entire region as a single destination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is one we call (INAUDIBLE).

STOUT: Party of the solution, connect public and private sectors to develop travel in the region. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ASEAN is point one for tourist regions in the world. We see a shift from more overseas travelers to more regional travelers.

STOUT: This man started his eco-tourism company, Green Discovery, in 2001. He is at the forefront of putting Laos on the map for the more intrepid tourists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see a lot potential in Laos. Tourists come to Laos trying to enjoy nature because a lot of people said the nature in Laos is very nourishing.

STOUT: He says that, today, more than 10,000 people take his tours every year, an encouraging sign in a country that is still very much off the beaten path.

(MUSIC)

STOUT: Kristi Lu Stout, CNN.

(MUSIC)

VAUSE: Still to come, Donald Trump promised he would be the jobs president. And he's keeping his word. The comedians and impersonators, in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: The star, Taylor Swift, is expected to testify in a civil trial over an encounter with a Colorado disc jockey. Dave Miller claims he lost his job at CNN affiliate, KYGO Radio, after Swift falsely accused him of groping her at an event in 2013.

VAUSE: So Miller sued the singer, the mother, and her radio promotions director. The singer saying his action was not an accident. It was completely intentional.

SESAY: In other showbiz news, singer, Usher, is facing a lawsuit from two women and a man who say the singer failed to tell them he had herpes, which is required by law in California where the suit was filed.

VAUSE: The news reported cited says Usher was diagnosed in 2009. And an unproven report that Usher settled a similar case in 2012 for more than a million dollars. The report says Usher never denied the claims. He has not commented on this latest lawsuit.

SESAY: There's no doubt the Donald Trump presidency has provided lots and lots of material for comedians.

VAUSE: There seems to be no end of it, and no end to the impersonators who are having a shot at the increasingly complex and long list of White House characters.

Here's Jeanne Moos. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They came, they were seen, they were impersonating.

(LAUGHTER)

From Spicy.

MELISSA MCCARTHY, COMEDIAN: It's filthy water and I'm washing in it.

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: To Scaramucci.

UNIDENTIFIED COMEDIAN: I love you. I am frigging love you.

MOOS: And we hate to see you go.

(on camera): Faces are changing so fast in the Trump administration that fresh impersonators are needed.